#10FsForASuccessfulLife- (2) #BeFOCUSED

....Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher... #Hebrews 12:

Focus is the womb of great manifestations! It is the epitome of every great endeavour in life. Until a person learns to be focused, their greatest dream will only remain a dream and nothing else. Many never understand that one of their deadliest enemies in the pursuit of their dreams and aspirations is not being focused. 

Every purpose and its fulfilment has its rudiments in the person's ability to stay focused on the mission for which they were sent. Every great man or woman knows one thing- never lose focus on the one thing that can make the difference in their lives and that of others. It is said, Thomas Edison tried a 1000 times to make a light bulb yet couldn't. When asked if he had failed in not achieving his purpose, he answered, he had just found a 1000 ways not to make a light bulb. What kept him going in spite of the challenges? FOCUS did!

The mindsent of being focused is the one every great individual needs in order to succeed. Now understand why it is imprudent for one to be doing so many things at a time. Familiar with Jack of all trades and master of none?  The simplest logic is this - when your energy is focused on a single thing, the tendency for you to succeed is higher as compared to dissipating it all over. Your gifts and skills are great but all they need is you being focused on the one thing you are pursuing. 

There is a point in life where all the clutter, noise, unnecessary friends and any other things that stop you from focusing have to be dealt with. You might be wondering why you've struggled a lot with your vision, dream etc. It is simply because you are not focused enough. The mind produces its best when its focused. Understand this, there are finer products hidden deep within your spirit and it will take focus to unearth them. 

In the beginning God said..... and everything He said is still in motion. What energy, what power, what focus! The power of focus was needed when creation of a new earth out of the distorted, void and darkened one was to be achieved. As you focus intently, you are taken to its next and powerful level of focus called FOCI- the centre or converging point of focus. This is where all great inventions and ideas are hidden. Remember, any time you feel like giving up, that laser is powerful and can be used to cut even metals because tiny rays of light have been FOCUSED!

Discuss:-

What do you think causes many to lose focus? Let me know your thoughts

[CURRENTLY WORKING ON MY FIRST BOOK AND ONCE ITS COMPLETED, I WILL TELL YOU OF HOW YOU CAN ACQUIRE ONE FOR YOURSELF]

#10FsForASuccessfulLife- (1) #BeFRIENDLY

...But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. #Proverbs 18:24

Be a friend who can be Befriended! (Tweetable?DoIt). Man is a social being and at any given opportunity, we will need to relate to people....sometimes outside the immediate family of a person. The reality of friendship is that you are always going to be influenced be it positive or negative. (Tweetable?DoIt). Interestingly, we are attracted to our kind! Peer pressure never ends after teenage years. At any given age or level there are peers who will influence your thoughts, behaviours, choices etc and its from out of these do we choose to form friendships.

Friendship is by choice not by force. (Tweetable?DoIt). Being friendly isn't acting needy. Friendship is a mutual agreement between two people sometimes spoken or not for the benefit of all. Friends are God sent when they fit the purpose for which they were sent. They carry with them answers to challenges we face as we go along.  Even Jesus at some point needed friends. He chose disciples people whom he later called friends. #John 15/15. 

The value of friendship cannot be equated to money. It's most seen when someone you call a friend is there for you in times of challenges. It carries with it the strength to endure difficulties together. There is nothing beautiful as having someone you can confide in and commune with on issues no one seems to understand. (Tweetable?DoIt). Interestingly, a true friend will stick closer in all matters relating to your life. Growing up, I had loads of people I called friends. Age has taught me that many of those were just acquaintances who really didn't fit into what I will term friends. I can't stand disloyal people and a such I am quite careful on choosing people for friendship. 

Many will disappoint you in your quest to sieve through the number of people for friendship. (Tweetable?Do it). Friendship and its definition has changed for me as I mature. Your need to be fulfilled in life should be considered when desiring to find a friend. They should carry enough to impact your life. Their influence should create a visible change for all to see.  I consider friendship in a three step way - those who will feed my need for insight, wisdom and information for my vision , those who I can share my knowledge with on the same level and finally those who I can teach things I have benefited from to in life. (Tweetable?Do It).

David and Jonathan's friendship is an example of that which is for life. Jonathan the Prince saw greatness in David and defended him even from the imminence of deathly threats from his father King Saul. If you find a friend who sticks closer than a brother, then you can really rest assured that some of the challenges you might face in life will be halved. (Tweetable?DoIt).Be friendly for it pays not only when we need people around...but I believe two heads are always better than one. (Tweetable?DoIt). There is someone out there whom you can trust with the fine details of the challenges you are facing in life. Loneliness by choice or circumstance does nothing better for a person. Reach out to someone who needs your company. Be friendly!

[CURRENTLY WORKING ON MY FIRST BOOK AND ONCE ITS COMPLETED, I WILL TELL YOU OF HOW YOU CAN ACQUIRE ONE FOR YOURSELF]

The Winter Is Passed

See! The winter is passed.... ~ Songs Of Solomon 2:11

If you are reading this, there is high possibility that you are alive and in real time. It also means in spite of your regrets and mistakes, you've crossed over from the vestiges of  2013 into the early fodder of 2014. Your life could be Summed up in the popular James Bond catchphrase "stirred but not shaken". Yes you endured all that 2013 could throw at you yet you survived. What you didn't need got burnt in the fire! You have been kept by the mercies of God for a reason and a season. Your greatest breakthrough and opportunity is the "now" that you're living in.

The winter is passed but a fresh and a new day beckons. What are you going to do this year? Spend your time planning when it's time to act? Procrastinate again? Let opportunities pass you by without even trying? I mean what exactly are your plans for the new year?

No one applauds ideas...people celebrates results! The time of slack and blame has passed. Its time you become all that God created you to. Shake off  the last bits of 2013 and embrace the clothing of a new dawn. Every thing you need is so much available. All you need  is to take the bold step. I remind you of this story in Joshua's days. Moses had divided the waters yet was no more. The people were used to their leaders dividing waters for them. Joshua's opportunity came with God now commanding the Priest to bear the Ark on their shoulders and to "STEP INTO JORDAN" as the only means by which the waters will divide. They obeyed and Jordan was divided. Moses used the rod but in Joshua days, the Priest stepped into the water. The Winter had passed!

I know this for a fact; God will be telling some of us to go the extra mile, open new chapters in pursuit of dreams and aspirations, separate ourselves or better still leave the relationship, go back to school etc. Make sure you heed the voice and do as commanded for strength will be given to you from on high to accomplish every dream and purpose you were created for. The winter is passed! Behold a new season comes and I hear the spirit say it's your SEASON.

Yours,
J Akuoko II

3WaysToSelfPreserved - (3) WalkInPurity

Purity is the single most powerful force that drives self-preservation. You cannot live your life anyhow and expect not to be a victim of early destruction.  Anyhow living simply leads to anyhow preservation! The difference between the one that lives in purity and the one who doesn’t is the length at which they will be preserved. Moses before he could handle the rod of miracles was tested on his state of purity. He was told to place his hand on his chest which turned leprous. At this point it was obvious that he couldn’t handle the rod of God if there wasn’t any purity in his life. 

Living life might not necessarily be something strange anymore but being preserved against things others struggle with is what matters.  You need to get to the point of saying “NO” to certain things that will cause you to compromise on your Christian standards. Opinions of people don’t matter: the standards of God is the ultimate and that is where everyone should endeavour to ascribe to.

Many will be told to depart from the presence of God during the judgment because they lived without any sign of purity. Have you ever questioned why regardless of how much gifted a person might be, they never seem to produce anything meaningful? The lack of intentional purity might be the answer! All things are lawful onto me but not all are expedient. Once you come to this point, you have to make the decision to live pure for yourself. There is no way round living pure, acting pure and thinking pure as a child of God.

Living pure is something every Christian should endeavour to. Many have the mind you judge them when you point out a fault in their character, relationship etc. However, as Christians, we are meant to prove others by how we live our lives. Until your life style speaks about your relationship with Christ, you don’t have the moral right to speak of others. When in doubt about living right and pure, remind yourself of what the whole of Psalm 24 speaks on. What really gives me the kick is when the Psalmist questions who will ascend onto the hill of God and stand in His holy place. He gives the answer without wavering – “he that a clean hands and a pure heart.

To the pure all things are pure.  The bible warns a lot about things that defile a person.  It’s about time you take living right and pure for God seriously. Nothing you do for God will go unrewarded. Purity carries with it a divine key that causes one have access to untold breakthroughs. Purity is what makes the difference between two people in life. To stand out and be different, preserved above others consider living purely for God. Whatsoever things are lovely, pure, just, honest and of a good report if there be any praise and virtue think on these. 

Think Aloud :-

a. What fights your PURITY?

Yours,

J Akuoko II

3WaysToSelfPreserve (2) GuardWhatYouSay

…but the lips of the wise will preserve them. Proverbs 14:3

Life and death are upon the power of the tongue and he that loves it will eat the fruit thereof. It’s interesting how we often forget the effect of what we do almost every split second – speaking. (Tweetable?Do it). For someone who is a certified deaf and dumb person, it’s never about the physical act of speaking forth but the spirit behind their gestures. Motive has always been the measuring rod for God in dealing with man.  It’s never about the act but the spirit behind the acting! Any time we speak to someone we are releasing an enormity of unseen power. Understand this- words carry more weight in the Spirit realm with both the forces of good and evil ready to act based on what is said.(Tweetable?Do it!). 

Words are spirits and every spirits needs blood in order to thrive. The person as long as he is flesh and blood creates the environment for their words to thrive.  (Tweetable?Do it!)Thus what you say matters most not to you only but to others. In Pastor David Yonggi Cho’s book, fourth dimensional living In a three dimensional world, he reveals deeply the often taken for- granted power of words. He says “words tend to exert an equal amount of influence on both their speakers and their hearers, as well as anyone else who may be spoken about”.

What has words got to do with preservation? Words either forms or destroys a life. (Tweetable?Do it!). The amount of destruction or construction a word spoken in a second generates is amazing. Just by the spoken word, Abraham and his generations were blessed. Just by the spoken word of Jabez’ mother his life was curse even before he could utter his first words as a baby.  God said “let there be” and up on until now everything He said is in existence. What He said from the beginning has resonated past generation into ours and am sure if Jesus tarries, it will past the generation to come after ours. Words spoken with power whether good or bad resonates in the realms of the spirit. (Tweetable?Do it!).

To preserve yourself , there ought to be a new way of using the lips and the words that proceeds out of them. Man through his lip can secure his destiny and preserve the generation that follows. (Tweetable?Do it!).  Joseph was a prisoner because of the jealousy and anger from his brothers.  In his immature stages, his words nearly cut short his life. His imprudent attitude caused tensions between himself and the siblings which subsequently led to him being sold into slavery. Fast forward a few years and the dialogue between himself, cup bearer and Pharaoh speaks of change. He had come to terms with this understanding- that in order to self-preserve- his words mattered . 

Words are the garment that frame our thoughts. (Tweetable?Do it!). Your life is where it  is because of your words. If you hate your life, change your words and watch it create the world you desire.  Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be empowered after his baptism. Something powerful happened in his dialogue with the devil. Understand that his vocabulary wasn’t much of anything but that of a carpenter for thirty years before the encounter with the Holy Spirit.  But when he was empowered by the Holy Spirit, his words were anointed for supernatural doings. (Tweetable?Do it!).  No wonder when the devil attacked him, his rendition of what the word of God says carried so much weight. 

Think Aloud:-

A. Do you guard what you say?

B. How do you know words are powerful?

Yours 

Joe Akuoko II

3WaysToSelfPreserve (1) UnderstandYourParameters

“He must increase that I may decrease” John said. (Copy and tweet).  What sort of mission statement is that? This saying was to culminate his life works. The baptism of Jesus in Jordan by John was the end of John’s ministry as dictated by the Spirit. John was an individual who understood the parameters in which he was called to operate and did so. Could it be that many have gone over their parameters and are suffering as a result? Knowing when to and not to is a sign that you understand your strengths, abilities and weaknesses. Is the job, career path, relationship, belief and even your lifestyle within the parameters God has called you to?

The challenge for most people is to accept that not everything is within their parameters even though they might have what it takes. (Copy and tweet). Everyone desire to live long yet how many truly do so? We encumber our lives with things that really don’t matter to us so much that by the time we are aware, it’s too late. God created each one with an ability that must be allowed to shine through the process of time. (Copy and tweet). Any smart person who desires longevity both in expression of gifts, abilities or talents and even in life understands their parameters. They also understand the various gifts and calling on others and are prepared to let them take the centre stage when the time demands. Too many of us want to be everything whilst watching our other gifts go waste. You can’t be everything!How are you going to stand for something if you’re everything?

What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are you good at? What are others better at than you?  Over the years everything I have learnt has this standing out- you can’t always insist on your rights. Whenever a person always fights to keep their rights, they become a prisoner to the dictates of their opponents. (Copy and tweet).  You’ll exert so much effort to get your insistence accepted and by the time you realise, not much would have been achieved. Your parameters define your character and attitude. It’s what defines your doings. Within the confines of your character and attitude, lies your uniqueness that determines the way you act towards others. Staying within the confines of your parameters also teaches you how to empathize with the weaknesses of others whilst adulating their strengths. (Copy and tweet). If you desire to be relevant for a long time to come, watch how you manage your parameters.

Jesus displayed the knowledge of his parameters when he sent the disciples in two to cast out devils, heal disease, raise the dead and a host of other things. He had all power because God had anointed him for such a feat. So how come he let others shine? Simply because he understood the power of self-preservation. If you stay within your parameters, there is a godly chance that you will live longer for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Copy and tweet).  Countless who allowed the spirit of God to teach them how to stay within their parameters enjoyed the provision, protection and prosperity of God. 

Think Aloud :-

a. What are your parameters

b. Do you sometimes go over?

Yours 

Joe Akuoko II

#3ThingsToDominateInYourLife - (3) #TheFlesh

Your quest to operate in dominance I believe should begin with you taking charge of the flesh. What is the flesh you might ask? The flesh represents the fallen nature of man that fights against the renewed nature of a person in Christ. (Copy and tweet). It's also the sum total of the expression of the mind, emotions and the soul of a person that is not in concert with the word of God and they do nothing to aid you in your walk with Christ.

Success or failure first begins with a person! (Copy and tweet). The demands of the flesh are so real. Sometimes its push and pull makes it quite daunting and difficult to live except through the grace of God. My nearest experience was trying to help someone caught in an addiction to break free. Funny enough during those days I wasn’t well equip but the lesson learnt has forever stayed with me. When the flesh commands its demand, the human being without the saving grace of Christ is left with no choice but that of obedience. (Copy and tweet).  This sort of enslavement is demeaning and devaluing! The whole purpose of Christ and his death was to release power to man for dominance especially over the flesh. Man is a spirit being and at the same time soulish entity. Interestingly we function well when connected to the spirit. (Copy and tweet).

It’s out of this fallen nature or the flesh (not physical flesh) that the destructive tendencies of drunkenness, drug abuse, sexual depravity, murder and its ilk emanate. (Copy and tweet) The more you study the bible the more you understand everything God warns us about is for our own good. Know also that there is an eternal war between the demands of the flesh and that of the Spirit and unfortunately man is the victim. If your flesh controls you too much, it means your Spirit has been weakened and your connection to righteousness is being weakened whilst that to sin is strengthened.  (Copy and tweet). As long as you are plugged into the demands of the flesh, the contamination begins and leaves you dry without any hope except you taking charge through Christ.

The power of the flesh does only one thing- to hold you ransom to evil. Even when you have the desire to do that which is right, your abilities are poisoned and taken prisoner by that of the dictates of the flesh. Paul bemoans the state of the individual who is under the dominance of the flesh in Romans chapter 7. He paints a picture of an individual who desires to live right but find himself doing the evil thereof because of the pull of the flesh. The situation becomes grave to the point Paul calls it being wretched.  

The flesh will leave you wretched and broken as all it does is to keep you in sin. (Copy and tweet). God cannot do much with a person who in spite of the death of Jesus is caught in the grips of the flesh. You cannot be friends with the deeds of the flesh…it’s no one’s friend.  If there is anything you need the power of God to help you deal with, let it be to fight off the demands of the flesh. 

To dominate your flesh here are some tips:-

1. Prayerfully identify what your weakness is. (Everyone has a weakness and it’s through it that the flesh gains an opportunity to cause one to sin) (Genesis 4:7)

2. Attack that weakness with every available resource of the word, fasting and prayer. (Hebrews 4:12)

3. Learn to walk in the spirit and you will not fulfil the deeds of the flesh. You learn to walk in the Spirit by:-

a. Constantly study the word of God (2 Timothy 2:15)

b. Commune with the Holy Spirit to know the will of God for your life. (Ephesians 1:11)

c. Constantly be part of the gathering of believers. What you constantly hear is something you will eventually become.  (Hebrews 10:25).

Yours, 

Joe Akuoko II